I’m calling it now, the fifth of November should be a day when we all re-watch 2005’s V for Vendetta. I’m going to add it to my own personal 2025 movie schedule. November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day in the United Kingdom, and for us Yanks, that doesn’t mean much. In Great Britain, and in the movie, it’s a significant day. We can have our own little bit of fun here in the former colonies, where the celebrations of Guy Fawkes Day ended around the time we revolted against the crown in 1776, by watching the rare non-superhero comic book movie about a dystopian future in London.
The Movie Is A Good, If Scary, Reminder That Anything Is Possible
We should never take for granted the freedoms that democracy has given us, and V for Vendetta is a realistic, yet stark reminder that all governments, no matter how stable, can be delicate. It's one of the best movies about a dystopian future ever produced by Hollywood, based on one of the best comic books of all time from the enigmatic Alan Moore.
The movie was supposed to be released on November 4th, 2005, just in time for the Guy Fawkes celebrations that year, but its release had to be pushed back to March 2006 after being shown at some festivals in 2005. That means the movie turns 20 around now. You can pick whichever date works for you, but for me, I’ll be watching tonight. The story of Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman in one of her best roles) works any time of year, but when the nights start getting dark early, it’s perfect. So here we are, the fifth of November.
Let’s Not Get Too Crazy Here
I’m not advocating for violence against the state, as V (Hugo Weaving) does in the movie. No, political violence is never the right answer... except in V for Vendetta, of course. The holiday in the U.K. is actually to celebrate the prevention of political violence, while the movie encourages it against a totalitarian, fascist state that the country has become in the “near-future.”
We also have the Fourth of July here in the United States, where we do pretty much the same thing as the Brits do today. We light off fireworks, build fires in the backyard and celebrate all that makes our country great. We celebrate overthrowing a tyrannical government every year on the 4th, the U.K. commemorates the prevention of a violent overthrow, but the intention is the same: to have a good time honoring our histories. Or is it honouring?
I’m a little bummed there aren’t any anniversary screenings of V for Vendetta this year. Maybe we’ll get them on the 2026 schedule. In the meantime, I’ll be renting it on demand with my Amazon Prime Video subscription and hoping that our future is nothing like London’s future in the movie.
